The present invention relates to a new and improved connection arrangement or connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion of a sabot projectile.
Generally speaking, there is provided a circumferential groove at the sabot tail portion into which protrudes a lip or flange of the sabot jacket, in order to form a connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail portion which, on the one hand, withstands the mechanical forces upon firing of the sabot projectile and, on the other hand, is gastight.
According to state-of-the-art constructions of sabot projectiles as disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,466, granted Feb. 10, 1981 and the cognate Swiss Pat. No. 622,833, granted Apr. 30, 1981, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,618, granted Dec., 23, 1975, the connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion comprises a single groove provided at the sabot tail or rear portion and into which protrudes a single rib or rib member of the sabot jacket. This single groove and this single rib should be capable of withstanding both the mechanical forces and also the high gas pressure. However, there exits an appreciable danger that the sabot jacket, during firing of the projectile, will prematurely detach from the sabot tail or rear portion, especially during transfer of the sabot projectile from the cartridge chamber of the firing weapon into the weapon barrel, or that the connection is not gastight so that a portion of the gas pressure is lost. When the firing weapon fires at a greater firing cadence appreciable acceleration and deceleration forces arise during the infeed of the cartridges to the firing weapon. Consequently, the danger exists that the connection between the sabot tail portion and the sabot jacket already will become damaged prior to infeed of the projectile into the firing weapon. Furthermore, the cartridge casing is secured in a circumferential groove of the sabot tail or rear portion. The deeper that this circumferential groove is that much greater are the forces required for the ejection of the projectile out of the cartridge casing, and thus, the greater the gas pressure at the instant when the projectile exits from the cartridge casing. Therefore, increased requirements are placed upon the gastight connection and the mechanical strength between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion.
In particular, this connection is endangered as long as the projectile, following the ignition of the propellant charge in the cartridge casing, moves in a free flight path and does not yet contact the rifling grooves of the weapon barrel. Hence, this connection arrangement or connection is not yet held together or supported by the rifling grooves or ribs, that is to say, during such time as the rotating or guide band is not yet supported or guided at its outer surface by the rifling grooves in the weapon barrel. In the weapon barrel itself the rotating or guide band of the sabot jacket is pressed against the sabot tail or rear portion.